Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-07-30

I thing to eat sudden bend In the river
/ brought US in sight OF substantial looking
| European house, with a veranda round ii,
4 splendidly situated upon hill, and sur.
rounded by high stone wall with q ditch on
the outer side Right against and over
shadowing the house was an enormous pine,
the top OF which we had seen through glass
4 for the last two days, but Of course without
knowing that it marked the site of the mis-
sion station. / was the first to see the house.
and could not restrain myself from giving a
hesrty cheer, in which the others, including
the natives, joined Justify There was no
thought of halting now On we labored, for,
unfortunately, though the house seemed
quite near it was still long way off by
river, until at last, by / o'clock, we found
ourselves at the bottom of the slope on which
| the building stood. Running the canoes to
| the bank, we diseinbarked, and were just
| hauling them up ON to the shore when we
! perceived three figures, dressed in ordinary
| English looking clothes, hurrying down
| through a grove of trees to meet us.
"a gentleman, a lady, and little girlls
| calculated Good, after surveying the trio
/ through his eye glass, walking in civilized
fashion, through a civilized garden, to meet
us in this place. Tang me if this isn't the
most curious thing we have seen yet"
Good was right; it certainly did seem odd
| and out of place-more like a scene out of a
| dream or an Italian opera than real tangible
| fact; and the sense of unreality was not
| iessened when we heard ourselves addressed
| in good broad Scotch, which, however, cam
not reproduce.
"How do you do, sirsn said Mr.. Mackenzie,
| a gray haired angular man with a kindly face
wall
| NY natives told me an hour ago they spied
| two canoes with white men in them coming
| up the river; SO we have just come down to
meet you"
@And it is very glad that we are to see
white face again, let me tell you," put in the
lady-a charming and refined looking person.
We took off our hats in acknowledgment,
and proceeded to introduce ourselves
@And now,n said Mr.. Mackenzie, "you must
all be hungry and weary; so come on, gentle
| men, come on, and right glad we are to see
YOU. The last white that visited us was Al
phonse--you viii see Alphonse presently-and
that was year ago.
Meanwhile we had been walking up the slope
of the hill, the lower portion of which was
fenced off, sometimes with ounce fences and
sometimes with rough stone walls, into kaffir
gardens, just now full of crops of mealies,
pumpkins, potatoes, etc. In the corners OF
these gardens were groups of neat mushroom
shaped huts occupied by Mr. Maekenzies
mission natives whose women and children
came pouring out to meet us as we walked
Through the center of the gardens ran the
roadway up which we were walking 1t was
bordered on each side by line OF orange
trees, which, although they had only been
planted ten years, had in the lovely climate
of the unlands below Mt. Kenia, the base of
which is about 5000 feet above the coast line
level, already grown to imposing proportions,
and were positively laden with golden fruit
After a stifiish climb of q quarter of a mile or
so-for the hillside was steep-we came to
splendid ounce fence, also covered with
fruit. which inclosed, Mr. Mackenzie told us,
| a space of about four acres of ground that
contained his private garden, house, church
and outbuildings, and, indeed, the whole hill
top. And what garden it wasi have al
ways loved good garden, and l could have
thrown up my hands for JOY when saw Mr.
Maclenzie's. First there were rows upon
rows of standard European fruit trees, all
grated; for on the top of this hill the climate
was so temperate that very nearly all the
English vegetables, trees and flowers flour
ished luxuriantly, even including several va
rleLleS OF bne dppic, Which, SOhSA"4J SRS"A
ing, runs to wood in warm climate and
obstinately declines to fruit. Then there
were Strawberries and tomatoes such toma-
toes D and melons and cucumbers, and indeed
every sort of vegetable and fruit.
"WeI, you have something like gardenP
said. overpowered with admiration not I'M
touched by envy.
eyes" answered the missionary, sit is
very good garden, and has well repaid my
labor; but it is the climate that have to
thank If you stick peach stone into the
ground it will bear fruit the fourth year, and
a rose cutting win Bloom in ayear. 1t is
lovely cline"
Just then we came to ditch about ten feet
wide and full of water, ON the other side OF
which was a loopholed stone wall eight feet
high, and with sharp 6ints pleatifully set in
mortar on the coping.
GThere," said Mr. Mackenzie, pointing to
the ditch and wall, "tais is my rnagnum opus.
at least, this and the church, which is the
other side of the house. 1t took me and
twenty natives two years TO dig the ditch and
build the wall, but / never felt safe till it was
done; and now can defy all the savages in
Africa, for tho spring that fills the ditch is
inside the wall, and bubbles out at the top of
the hill winter and summer alike, and al
ways keep store OF four months provisions
in the house."
Crossing over plank and through very
narrow opening III the wall, we entered into
what Mrs. Mackenzie called her domain
namely, the flower garden, tie beauty OF
which it is really beyond my power to de-
scribe do not think ever saw such roses,
gardenias, or cameliias tall reared from seeds
OF cuttings sent from England; and there
yrs also patch given UP to a collection OF
dubious -ootr, mostly collected by Miss Flos-
Sic Mr. Mackenzie's little daughter, from the
surrounding country, some Of which were
surprisingly beautiful In tho Middle of this
garden, and exactly opposite the veranda,
beautirul fountain Of clear water bubbled up
from the ground, and fell into stone work
basin which had been carefully DEIlt to re-
ceive II, whence the overflow found its way
by means of drain to the moat round the
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